Nefelibata
by ye jun
Summary: Takahashi Jun likes to think that she's the epitome of normalcy, disregarding the fact that she somehow de-aged, is currently living in a manga, and can hijack peoples' dreams– but other people beg to differ. [SI/OC]


**Nefelibata**

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**Summary: Takahashi Jun likes to think that she's the epitome of normalcy, disregarding the fact that she somehow de-aged, is currently living in a manga, and can hijack peoples' dreams– but other people beg to differ. [SI/OC]**

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**I do not own One Piece.**

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**Prologue**

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_Having a gun's muzzle against the centre of your forehead is not a nice experience, rather, it makes your heart beat loudly against your chest, makes your body stiffen, turns your legs into jelly, forces your sweat glands to work overtime, stops you a moment from breathing, and lets you have a nice mantra of; 'I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die' echoing in your head._

_All at the same time._

_Even if Jun reminds herself that she's just in a dream, everything just feels so damn real –from the looming figure that exudes power, the sun that's basking them in its warm rays, the breeze that brushes against her clothes, and let's not forget the gun pointed at the centre of her forehead that can blow her brains out of her skull– that it's hard to forget that little fact._

_Can her fruit stop putting her in situations like these? Is it too much to ask to have a normal sleep with no dreams at all, or have dreams that's at least hers?_

_Of course it is._

_"Drop the freaking gun," Jun snaps at the offender, surprising herself with the confidence ringing in each word, and helps her breathe again in her current situation._

_She already expected that the person wouldn't listen, and Jun just accepts the fact that the muzzle is pressed harder against her forehead, that she hears the distinct sound of a finger just a hair's breadth away from pressing the trigger._

_Takahashi Jun awakens just a moment before the bullet hits her._

_A string of curses floats in her head, and she vainly hopes that she isn't visiting that person's dreams any time soon._

_Only Jun should've known that she already jinxed it, and the next time she closes her eyes for slumber, she is greeted with the same courtesy as before._

_Over and over again._

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**Chapter 1: Drop of Water**

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Laboon is smart.

He knows that the beings with skin the colour of earth cannot breathe under the sea, not like the beings with skin that reflects against the sun and can have multitudes of colour.

He knows that.

It is why for a moment he stops his routine of swimming in circles, and ever so slowly approaches the floating little being under the sea, with skin that mostly resembles the colour of the floating fluffy objects in the upper sea, and not the usual earthy colours he is used to. But Laboon knows it is the same as the beings with skin the colour of earth, and for now it cannot breathe.

It is not moving, and Laboon does not wish for the little being to be gone, because Laboon knows that somewhere out there, there is somebody looking for the little being, somebody that has a bond with this little being, much like the bond Laboon has with his pod members.

So he helps, because Laboon knows how much it hurts to be away from one's pod, and alone.

Laboon knows how much it hurts to be alone.

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The last thing she remembers are the sudden black spots appearing in her line of sight, the feeling of her chest tightening to the point she can't breathe, her blood boiling from the sweltering heat that engulfs her form, and her bones and body all but melting_._

Then, she awakes throwing up salty water that she must've swallowed at some point in time, with shivers wrecking through her body, clothes wet, and body cold as ice.

It takes a while for Jun to regain her bearings, to even feel the presence of her limbs, and she spends that time wisely by mulling over the events that she remembers, squashing the uncomfortable feeling that there is something distinctly wrong.

Once she knows that her body parts are capable of following the actions her mind transmits, the first thing she does is wipe away the liquid from her glasses, the liquid that currently obstructs her view from seeing the place she's currently at.

That small task takes ages to finish, and Jun can feel her lips twisting into a frown. There are countless possible reasons for that to happen, ranging from still uncooperative limbs, to wet fingers, hands, and clothes. But there is this nagging feeling that makes her insides squirm, makes her think that the reason isn't as simple as the ones she thought of, and Jun feels apprehensive.

Situating her glasses where it's supposed to be –perched upon her nose – she lets out a sigh of relief at being able to see her surroundings lucidly, and allows her mind to gather information about her current whereabouts.

And Takahashi Jun is distinctly aware that she isn't in her home country, that she isn't in _Japan _anymore.

She is aware that she doesn't have the best knowledge when it comes to her home country, aware that there are people in other countries that could probably know more about the current news in Japan, the landmarks that is spread throughout the land, and even best her with her pitiful array of Japanese vocabulary.

But she does know that there is no mountain in the land that has a river cleanly cutting through its middle –from its top to the bottom– the currents so powerful that her eardrums can barely endure its deafening roars, the width of the river rivalling two football fields. Then, there is the gargantuan mountain that exists on her left, a mountain with the most peculiar colour of a deep navy blue, bordering on black, that stretches on and on in height, its end not within her sight.

If these two landmarks were within her home country's lands, meters close to one another, then Jun would've heard of it from the uproar it would cause. It would've undoubtly been a tourist spot with thousands of visitors, from various people around the globe.

She couldn't be _that _ignorant about her home country, now could she?

She sighs at her own question. Jun is very much aware that she can be _that _ignorant, but the point still stands that she doesn't exactly know where she is.

She doesn't feel the rush of panic that most people say they experience when they're in some unknown place, doesn't feel the hysteria that they proclaimed overtook their hearts, and Jun doesn't feel that her bladder has failed her yet.

Instead, she felt oddly calm, or numb. Jun is willing to bet that she's just feeling the latter, that the current state she's in is just her being numb to everything around her.

It seems her situation hasn't been completely processed by her mind. For now.

But Jun knows that she'll be in hysterics soon enough with tears running across her face, and snot muffling her nose. No sobbing or wails, since she's always been a silent crier.

"**BUUOOOOOOH!**"

Jolting in place, Jun whips her head at the direction of the sound, certain that the sound wasn't caused by the wind, or the strong currents that's been engraving a path on the mountain for perhaps more than a hundred years. A little startled to note that her head is turning to the direction of the navy blue mountain, certain that it is where the sound originates from.

Only, with dawning awareness, Jun realizes that it isn't a mountain.

She freezes, her mind blank and lungs being deprived of much needed oxygen, because what is located on her left is most certainly not a mountain.

It is a humongous animal, and Jun finds the word 'humongous' failing to truly describe the sight her eyes are graced with.

Two great spheres, a great sphere of white with a smaller sphere of charcoal colouring nestled inside it, Jun can see the large red veins running across the white sphere, and she dumbly notes that it is an _eye._

An eye that is seemingly floating on the massive wall of navy blue, an eye that is the height and width of a skyscraper with a hundred floors, maybe more.

And it's looking directly at her.

Jun realizes belatedly that the water that she coughed up must be sea water, and when she allows herself to take a deep calming breath, she promptly makes a run for it.

Like the hounds of hell were at her heels.

Her current choice of haven is behind a boulder with satisfying height and width. She knows that it wouldn't be able to endure any harm that the animal might bring, but it would at least bring her a measure of comfort, and Jun is in need of that comfort immediately.

She trips and falls countless of times, limbs bumping into hard land and stones. Jun wouldn't be too surprised if she'll see some bruises forming on those places where her skin met the painful objects. Her mind supplies a plausible reason for the uncharacteristic extent of clumsiness she is displaying, that it must be the weight of her drenched clothing that is throwing her off, and Jun thinks that her clothes aren't that large that it would've give her problems when it's wet.

Jun knows, she's played in the rain before with her usual black hoodie and black Bermuda shorts, and while it does get a little heavy, it isn't something she can't handle.

She trips for the hundredth time, and Jun feels that her right foot is bare from its usual confines of Chuck Taylor's. A passing thought runs through her mind, a certainty that her footwear isn't that big that it would simply slip off her feet. It makes Jun afraid of its implications.

But not too afraid that she forgets that she needs to hide behind a massive boulder, to at least provide a barrier from that Brobdingnagian animal.

With a last spurt of speed, ignoring the discomfort brought by only having a wet sock protecting her right foot from pebbles and pointed stones, Jun reaches her destination and she slams her back hard at the boulder.

The sting of pain is palpable from her back, as well as the scuffs that she accumulated from her trips and falls. The only thing that Jun is remotely happy with in her situation, is the fact that her glasses weren't knocked off her nose – even with the obstacles she needed to overcome.

Short of breath from that sole action, Jun blames it on the sheer terror that she is still feeling as of this moment, she tries to focus on regaining the required oxygen intake her lungs are currently deprived of. As soon as her breathing pattern stabilized, Jun finds herself curling into a ball, her sprawled legs retreating closer to the rest of her body – close enough that she can settle her chin on cloth covered knees – and she presses her hands against chubby cheeks.

And the thing is, Jun is rather certain that her cheeks weren't that chubby, or that her hands aren't as soft as the one's pressing against her cheeks.

As she brings her hands close to her face, Jun stares at the soft, small, and chubby fingers, appendages that she remembers having a decade ago.

_This? _This, takes the top out of all the events she's been through.

Being in a mountain rock in the middle of an ocean, yeah that's fine, Jun will eventually find a way back home, after a moment of panicking.

Have a freaking animal the size of a syscraper with a _thousand floors _or more, and with the appropriate monstrous width to boot, just meters beside her? She might've seen it wrong, maybe a 3D testing of prehistoric animals that did actually have that kind of size. Jun thinks it can be either of the two reasons. She personally leans towards the former, she presumably did almost drown – if the waterlogged clothes were any indication – and that's enough to have a few hallucinations over.

Being in a body you distinctly remember you had a decade ago?

This must be the figurative cherry that tops all of the events that she's been through and currently undergoing as of note, because _shrinking _is perhaps the most out of there event that could happen to anybody.

(_Detective Conan flashes in her mind, but she banishes the thought before it can take root._)

Jun takes a moment to really look at herself, to stretch all her senses, and check if she really did come to the right conclusion.

Her fingers are stubby, and past her stubby fingers, is her soaked black hoodie that pools around her form, preventing her from seeing the current state of her shorts, socks, and shoes.

(_She'll willfully ignore the state of her undergarments for now._)

She knows her shoes are in the same condition as her hoodie, which retains its original size, because that is the only answer to the question as to why her right foot is bare of its usual confines. Jun assumes that her t-shirt, shorts, and socks are suffering the same fate.

Her eyesight begins to get blurry, and Jun wonders how can that be possible when she can feel her glasses perched on her nose, when she can see the parts of the frame around her eyes.

Then, familiar sensations overcome her panic stricken mind, a burning sensation behind her eyes, the clogging of her nose. Jun isn't so surprised that when she brushes her hands against her cheeks she finds it wet with moisture, moisture that certainly didn't stem from her unexpected swim.

Jun isn't unfamiliar with the sting in her eyes that comes from crying, or with the congested nostrils that comes with it. No, she knows it far too well. Other people might detest the simple act of letting their tear ducts do their work, on the contrary, Jun revels in it.

Usually, Jun reminds herself, because instead of finding the relief that accompanies this particular action, in its stead is dread.

Dread that claws her insides, that grabs her heart, and reminds her of the situation she is in.

She pinches her right cheek with all the strength she can muster at her current state, and Jun winces in pain. It felt real, much like the minor scratches she obtained earlier. It seems she can't ignore what's been apparent for a time now, without making a fool of herself.

Her tears ran freely, not like a torrent of rain, but more akin to a light spring drizzle. Snot began falling from both nostrils, and while Jun usually treats her hoodie like it was made of precious gems, she wipes the nasal mucus with her sleeves. Something she'll regret once she's out of her melancholy.

Jun finds herself walking down memory lane, and while her life was not horrible, it wasn't great either. She only has herself to blame of course, she had no precious memories with people that she refers to as friends, pleasant times with her family were few and far between, and the times she truly felt happiness thrumming through her very being is when she reads and watches, when she just listens and looks.

No, her life wasn't all that fulfilling, and she already knew other fifteen-year olds who has already accomplished many feats, which makes her quite pathetic when she thinks about it. But she can do nothing about the way her body stiffens at the mere thought of being with the company of others, when she worries far too much about what she says and does.

Her parents urged her to leave her comfort bubble, and when she spies her sisters having a blast with their own set of friends she can't stop the longing in her heart, and the jealousy that runs through her veins.

Jun wanted to change, but she was too afraid.

But perhaps, perhaps this is just a chance presented upon her, a chance to change for the better.

Brightening at the thought, Jun feels the familiar burning sensation behind her eyes dissolve, how her nose seems to stop producing the nasal mucus that blocks her nostrils, and she subsequently wipes off all evidence of crying.

Jun likes to think that she has a healthy dose of optimism, pessimism, and realism.

Right now, she should look at her current situation while mindful of the three philosophies.

She's physically a child, and while it raises some questions she doesn't have any answers to, Jun wonders about how it would affect her. She'll be more vulnerable, weak, lacking in height, and would mess with her motor skills since she remembers having longer limbs, a fine example was her earlier run.

Any cure for her current ailment… might bring complications, and in turn experimentations on her being. Jun avoids anything she deems uncomfortable, and experimentation on herself is considered as such, on that note, so does having to endure pain.

She's already rather accepting of the fact that she shrunk, it isn't all that bad, and it makes her have a chance to grow to be the person she wants to be. Her family… would probably want her to go through experiments so that she'll be return to her original height, ignoring the fact that she'd rather not go through such ordeals and trouble anyone. She doesn't know what to do about that.

As she shifts in place, Jun decides to cross the bridge when she gets there.

She frowns in consideration, a thought echoes in her mind, that no one should know of her current circumstance. Since there's a rather high chance that majority of people would just peg her as somebody with a screw loose, or as someone who could be a fine specimen to experiment over.

Again, something Jun wants to avoid.

A secret it shall be then.

She is aware of the multitudes of problems that arises from this decision, the paperwork possibly involved, and just thinking about it makes a frown form on her face. Jun will refrain from thinking about such things for now, before she'll have a self-imposed headache to deal with.

What should she do now?

Stroking her lower lip with her right thumb and forefinger, Jun finds it hard to focus her thoughts when her stomach painfully reminds her that the last meal she had was breakfast yesterday, and according to the sun's position –which is over her head– she has already missed three meals at best.

Ignoring the hunger pangs is easier said than done, and Jun doesn't need to see herself in the mirror to know that her face is scrunched up, like she ate a lemon, eyes closed hard and eyebrows furrowed.

A growl reaches her ears, and before she can panic and think that it came from a wild animal, Jun realizes it came from somewhere near her, scratch that, it came from her. Embarrassed by the fact that the growl was abnormally loud, she feels the tips of her ears heating up, and covers her face in shame.

It didn't matter that there is no other person to hear it, Jun can't stop the shame that courses through her veins.

"Buoooo!"

The animal's croon manages to pierce the haze of embarrassment that clouds her mind, and Jun is reminded of the fact that while there is no other person near her, the humongous animal is still near the shore.

It continues to make sounds, and Jun finds herself hardpressed to refer to the sound it makes as noise, because the sounds strings together to meld a beautiful melody. For all her ineptness in the music department, at the very least Jun knows how to appreciate a good tune.

Eventually, the song of the animal gradually lowers in volume, and in its stead is the noise of violently splashing waves.

Jun is apprehensive of whatever the animal is doing, and she urges her body to move from it's place. She's already done panicking, and she's not going to lose anything if she takes a peek to see what's the animal doing.

Because for all she knows, she might as well be dead to her family and friends. The thought stings her a bit, but Jun thinks that it's very plausible for such a thing to happen, especially if she just suddenly disappeared.

That, and she isn't even sure if the animal wants to do something to her.

As she frowns in thought at the niggling suspicion in the back of her mind, that the gigantic animal _feels _familiar. Why would the animal feel familiar? Jun didn't spend time befriending any aquatic animals that could possibly grow that large.

The frown only deepens when she realizes that her hands are shaking. She curls her hands into fists, hitting her thighs where she distinctly knows it is. This is not the time to be nervous, or vibrating like a phone, she needs to move.

Standing up takes more time than it should have, and Jun just can't wait to regain the control that she used to have with her limbs –even if she does have a usual bout of clumsiness from time to time. Right now, it feels like her movements only has two settings; jerkily or slowly.

A wave of accomplishment passes through her body when she reaches the appropriate area to peek over the boulder, her wet clothes serving as a big inconvenience in the amount of time it took her to arrive on the particular spot, but she didn't have the heart to take it off, not when it gives her comfort in her overall situation.

As she looks over the boulder, the sparkling blue ocean greets her. The waves emitting a sound like none other and almost shining against the rays of the midday sun.

The sight should have made her heart lighten considerably. It should have made her give a sigh in relief at the absence of the 'black wall', and it is with barely hidden confusion that a pang of loneliness strikes her heart. Undeniably shaken at her own emotions, she grips the edges of the boulder, and her eyes stray to the boulder's top, which can't be seen with her current stature.

Jun needs to clear her mind, and climbing a boulder seems to be a good way to ignore the puddle of confusion her mind unknowingly stepped on. The picturesque ocean and sky is an added bonus. The sea breeze tickles her nose, and she gives a huff as she digs her fingers deeper in boulder.

Yeah, clearing her minds seems like a good idea.

In hindsight, Jun should've known how hard it would be to climb a boulder with almost non-existent climbing skills, _and _control of limbs. Then, there is the current state of her clothes.

There were already much too many close calls of her body falling on the cold and hard earth, and she's quite certain that her poor fingers have now accumulated countless scrapes. Still, she continues on, deftly ignoring the persistent thought of how hard it would be to get down.

She also ignores the protests her young body is giving, as well as the pain that comes from her right foot, which is currently absent of a shoe. It is a small mercy that her sock is thick enough to alleviate some of the pain of soles digging into rough rock. Jun isn't sure how many minutes have passed since she began, everything is a blur. As soon as she digs her foot on another ledge, she has already forgotten where it was placed before. She may or may not be trembling, there are countless possible reasons as to why; the terror of falling on the cold and hard ground, the terror of what's happening to her, the terror for the enormous animal, the terror of not having her family by her side– Jun is quite sure it could be all of those reasons put together, or maybe it was just the trembling that she naturally had.

(_It isn't._)

Jun was wrong, climbing the boulder didn't help clear her mind at all. It made her body feel heavier, made it felt as though she was climbing through thick mud and there's coldness creeping in her bones, but she still reaches for a ledge that would help her climb higher. She didn't want to fall (_on the ground? Against the terror?_), and going up is her only other option. After using two more ledges to pull herself up, her hand finally reaches a rugged wide surface and as she exerts more pressure, the texture of gritty sand welcomes her palms along with it are small stones that would probably leave imprints.

She cautiously climbs over the edge, still painfully aware of how a single misstep can make her go crashing down the ground. Jun doesn't stand and walk to the center, she just crawls in all fours– breathing heavily all the while. When she feels that she is away from the danger of falling, she raises her head. The sun's rays beam down her. It made her feel as though she has broken out of the surface of water. It chases away the coldness from her bones and pierces holes in the mist of terror that plagues her. She takes a deep breath, holds it, and exhales. Jun does this a couple of more times, savouring the air as though she has been deprived of it.

After several breaths, Jun decides that it is time to find a sense of comfort. The oversized clothes serve as a cushion from the hard and cold earth, but they are wet. She takes off her hoodie and tries to squeeze the water out of the clothing, an action she knows that wouldn't help much. Jun isn't sure if she should let her hoodie dry under the sun, as sand will cling to the wet garment. She decides to let it dry even if sand will stick to it, though it pains her heart. She wonders if she should do the same to her shorts, seeing as her t-shirt is long enough to be considered a dress.

Not a moment later, the only garments that Jun is wearing is a t-shirt and panties. She's vastly thankful that her panties shrunk along with her body. A sole shoe, a pair of socks, a bra, black Bermuda shorts, and a black hoodie are laid out before her with stones of appropriate sizes weighing them down, except for her shoe. It would do her no good if she lost her clothing to the wind and the ocean.

She sits and draws her knees closer to her body. Jun stretches the t-shirt over her knees and legs, and her arms are around them. The position makes her warm against the sea breeze and eases a tiny amount of comfort in her heart.

She thinks of everything and nothing.

(_She's in the middle of the sea, on a rock that extends towards the horizon– never ending. There are no living beings that she can see around her immediate area, living beings that she can talk to that is. There are probably bugs, rats, and worms, hiding in the crevices and cracks and she isn't keen on discovering whether they are there or not. The plant life is sparse, and in the back of her mind, she is certain that when worse comes to worst she'll discover whether they are edible or not, poisonous or not. She knows that in the sea there are more lifeforms, such a massive being wouldn't hang around an area where there isn't food on hand. There is a need to walk around, to explore the area where she finds herself in, yet she is nervous– apprehensive– of what she may find. She may find people on the other side across the rushing falls, but she wonders if she will be welcomed or not. _

_She is paranoid, but she likes to think of her paranoia as justified._)

Before she knows it, the massive being rises from the water, the mere action causing large waves.

Jun wonders if her smaller size would even help the being's appetite.

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**Found this in my laptop, collecting dust, so I decided to post it. Haven't proofread it, sorry.**

**On another note, I'm alive, and have more ideas to write and my mind and fingers can't keep up.**


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